Wolf Hollow at Water Gap Country Club's new owner focuses on golf-laden past, renovations

Monday

Jul 22, 2013 at 12:01 AM

New owners of the Water Gap Country Club are blending a renewed emphasis on its golf history with massive renovations to the course, restaurant, bar and hotel rooms.

DAVID PIERCE

New owners of the Water Gap Country Club are blending a renewed emphasis on its golf history with massive renovations to the course, restaurant, bar and hotel rooms.

Shaun and Julie Lyons of Wallingford in suburban Philadelphia bought the course from the Shirley Broda family for $1.1 million, in addition to covering unpaid back taxes.

They have renamed it Wolf Hollow at Water Gap Country Club, incorporating the original Wolf Hollow name from when the Mountain Road course first opened in 1922.

"The people on the wall — this is their place," Shaun Lyons said, pointing to a drawing featuring original board members. "I just hold the keys for a while."

Lyons doesn't miss a chance to promote the contributions of course designers Albert Tillinghast and Robert White, the latter the Professional Golf Association's first president, in 1916.

Tillinghast took part in creating 265 U.S. courses during the early 20th century. Walter Hagan, who played Wolf Hollow many times, won 45 tournaments, including 11 majors, on the PGA tour.

"You can feel the history, and when you're on the course you see more wildlife than you can imagine," Lyons said of his growing interest in buying Wolf Hollow during numerous visits to the Poconos. "The history brought me to the finish line."

Shaun Lyons also is president of Precision Realty Group LLC, a Philadelphia commercial real estate brokerage. He spends Thursdays through Monday at Wolf Hollow, and weekdays at Precision interspersed with some daily commutes.

Lyons grew up on Long Island, during which he vacationed at Shawnee. His wife also spent time here, including coming to Wolf Hollow for her wedding shower.

"I pretty much fell in love with the Poconos," he said. "A lot of my family is working here and involved in the place."

Personally taking on the Delaware Water Gap resort presents new challenges for the couple, who took advice shortly after the April closing from the Travel Channel's "Hotel Impossible" program.

The program's host toured the facilities while pointing out suggested improvements. Lyons made note of the advice while coming up with ideas of his own. That program will air this fall.

Lyons has restaurant management experience but had never taken on a hotel. Wolf Hollow has 24 guest rooms.

They have renovated the lobby and ballroom, bought new kitchen equipment and upgraded the menu and added a golf simulator at the pro shop for off-season practice against a virtual course background. Rooms have been renovated. A newly stained, finished wooden slab adorns the bar.

All this has been done since the April sale closing, he said. But a grounds crew began work a month before the sale, reworking the cart path, greens and sand traps.

"We spent a ton of money on the course," Lyons said.

The course remained open through the spring, during renovations that led up to an unofficial July 4th kickoff. Yet the loss of 30 golfing days due to rain hurt, he said.

"We overcame it by giving people a really good product in the restaurant," Lyons said. "I believe that is what's really beginning to put us on the map."

Frozen foods have been replaced with fresh products as much as possible.

The restaurant, bar and course are open seven days a week. Lyons has plans for year-round theme nights and celebrations.

He loves the resort business and the people.

"Not only is the staff loyal, the patrons are loyal," Lyons said. "I didn't see that in other businesses I've been involved in."

Wolf Hollow at Water Gap Country Club is much more than a financial investment, he said.

"This is a full-time responsibility, and I absolutely love it," Lyons said. "It's creative. I like this more and more every day. This is something I'd like to be involved with every day with my family."